New Neuro-Oncology chair for Ohio Clinical Trials Collaborative

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The Ohio Clinical Trials Collaborative (OCTC) has appointed Jill Barnholtz-Sloan as chair of its Neuro-Oncology Working Group. Barnholtz-Sloan is an associate professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, associate director for Clinical Informatics, Institute for Computational Biology and a member of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Centre.

“Because Ohio is uniquely positioned as a stronghold of individual brain tumour investigators, novel neuro-oncology, basic science and clinical research, the OCTC has a world-class interdisciplinary team with the ability to study the genetic changes responsible for the onset, spread and recurrence of brain tumours,” says Barnholtz-Sloan.

 


“The OCTC will establish Ohio as one of the most efficient and effective states in which to develop new medicines and treatment strategies,” James Chmiel, chief executive and director of the OCTC says. “The development of new treatments for brain tumours is critical because patient survival has not improved substantially in 30 years.”

 


The OCTC provides centralised access to Ohio’s premier medical centres for clinical trial development. The pharmaceutical industry faces a challenging and expensive process for conduct of clinical trials. The OCTC streamlines the contracting, budgeting, approval of human subject use and patient recruitment/enrolment processes so medical discoveries can move to market faster.

 


“I am enthusiastic about leading this extraordinary statewide team to advance clinical trials in neuro-oncology and achieve our goal of developing new treatments for brain tumour patients,” says Barnholtz-Sloan.

 


The adult component of this working group will be co-chaired by David Peereboom, professor of medicine at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine and director, Clinical Research at The Rose Ella Burkhardt Brain Tumour & Neuro-Oncology Centre and the paediatric component of this working group will be co-chaired by Jonathan Finlay, professor and director of Paediatric Neuro-Oncology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.